iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Well yeah, that's why it's a terrible mnemonic. The notes do all get their assigned letters, but then you also get a bunch of connecting words & syllables like -sticks, -lings, with, etc. Thereby destroying any strong association btwn letter & note.

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Or even one who might ask why you're citing a book about 20th-century Jewish intellectuals for a point about 19th-century literary attitudes (though to her credit, Grinberg does not make the same mistake about Barrett Browning).

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

"seemed like a decent guy" was the tell for me

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Lots of interesting stuffy in this thread on THE SHINING, a movie I've never liked as much as I feel like I should.

Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

It was a fun journey seeing who this comment was about

Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Rhetoric is about rhythm & sleight of hand as much as frontal assault. It also allows him to stay within the debate format rather than seeming to hijack it for a rant about something off-topic.

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Oh, basically none. This is much more in the wishin' & hopin' line than anything actionable.

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Partly just b/c the right will inevitably be in power every so often & it's better not to have absolutely everything we accomplish torn down by nihilistic cretins. But also b/c the left is just as capable as the right of getting high on its own supply & it's good to have a rational counterweight.

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Says it was an epidemic, so must be bad I guess 🤷‍♂️

Having been to grad school, I think the warlocks got the better deal.

It really is too bad; even as a progressive, it's actually kind of important to have a conservative movement that's not completely embarrassing and diseased.

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Yeah, that's bizarre. For example, whatever you think of the label, essentially all "magical realism" is litfic.

& he says, "I got this for a buck," so he's obviously lying about shopping for it as well as price.

No, she's right. He says "stick," but holds up a half-pound block of what looks like premium butter. Not a stick, and at least $5-6, could easily be more.

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It used to be quite common to sell butter by the stick, certainly w/in the last few decades. But yeah, he's not pointing to a stick, but a brick-shaped block like Kerry Gold. No way to square his words w/the visual

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Well, it was just the prequels after all

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It's more of a protocol droid, though

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Philosophy is one of the most remunerative degrees, way better outcomes than business, for example, so it's a terrible example for this point. Degrees in low-paying areas like primary education & social work are much more likely to trigger this policy.

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

"Einstein, Beyoncé, The Muppets, Japan..."

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In real life it was a halibut

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I'd settle for Liberation from Anthropic (et al)

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Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Though it seems a pretty short step from that to arguing they can't own it as property.

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Reposted by Zak Sitter

I feel like the debate about what parts of AI are good and what parts are bad should wait until we solve the worldwide crisis caused by the fact that almost of all of its evangelists in both tech and govt are morally, intellectually, and ethically unequipped to oversee it, when not downright evil.

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That obviously doesn't mean that you shouldn't enjoy the stuff that does immediately appeal, but the good/trashy dichotomy is a way of recognizing that there's also art that does more than that.

I don't think guilt is the best mechanism for this, but its collapse has left a bit of a vacuum in the culture. Saying "you're SUPPOSED to like this" is always obnoxious, but it's good to internalize a sense that maybe you should look a bit harder at stuff that doesn't immediately appeal to you.

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I always thought it paired nicely with my favorite line from Jane Eyre:

from Jane Eyre: "And should you like to fall into that pit, and to be burning there for ever?"

"No, sir."

"What must you do to avoid it?"

I deliberated a moment; my answer, when it did come, was objectionable: "I must keep in good health, and not die."

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No, for sure not in our sense. But I think you can make a case that structurally he functions as one, at least to the extent that PL hews to epic norms. Classical heroes weren't really seen as moral exemplars in the way we've come to expect, and I think Milton is a bit torn between genres.

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For sure it was the Romantics who first embraced the notion that Milton was "of the Devil's party," but Milton very explicitly adopted epic structure & tropes that emphasize the nobility of the adversary. So he's not the "hero," but he's owed a certain respect & even empathy.

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Get menswear guy in here stat!

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Actually thought it was Hunter S. Thompson for a minute

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Milton the GOAT for pulling this off with the literal devil in the 1660s. Just an insane DOD.

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40% of grads between 22 and 27 are working in jobs that don't require a college degree. That seems like it could give people with bad intentions an opening.

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I am ashamed to have heard it. I'll try to do better in the future.

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Reposted by Zak Sitter

Technology enthusiasts severely overestimate the average person’s desire or willingness or capacity to build and use AI agents. I understand some work roles that could mandate or encourage it but that is no way a tech revolution. Agents are best for structured, clearly delineated tasks.

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I'm really struck by how much I don't want any of these things.

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Zak Sitter @telliamed.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Oh, just loop your smart fridge into the group chat & it'll totally take care of that (though it might first have to ping your smart toilet for an update on the nutrient balance of your poop). Easy peasy!

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If the driver's mastered it, it's not a big issue, and in some setups it's perfectly fine. It's bad when you have cars behind you & are making everyone wait. It's also harder for drivers behind you to read your intention when you pass a spot and then stop suddenly; I've had to slam on the brakes.